The luxurious boutique resort Hidden Pond near the Atlantic Ocean in Maine, the darling of design magazines and top travel lists, has outdone itself in the realm of romance.

Hidden Pond blends a backto-nature ethos with a swish lifestyle, couching five-star accoutrements in the supercasual style of Maine. When it opened in 2008 with 16 enchanting, designer-decorated cottages, they called it flipflop chic.

These two-bedroom getaways work brilliantly for families or two couples who enjoy the secluded wooded estate and the handy dining options of BBQ fare served poolside, cooking in or hiring a personal chef. Guests partake in laid-back pursuits like morning yoga and art classes in the garden, or tootle around in retro bicycles.

For the ocean, you can hail a ride to Hidden Pond's beach club in Bessie, a '56 Ford wagon with a surfboard atop.

Now Hidden Pond has gone grown-up with its second stage, adding sophisticated features like the Earth restaurant, the Tree Spa, the Farm Bar, an adults-only swimming pool and exquisite new lodging.

These 20 romantic, one-bedroom hideaways are among the finest and most distinctive accommodations in the northeastern country-

side. Hidden Pond calls them "bungalows," but that label doesn't quite deliver. The expressions "cosy cottages" and "country chalets" don't capture the scenario either. With names like Tryst, Rendezvous and Solitude, they are one-couple villas encompassing king-sized suites - the epitome of privacy, peacefulness and comfort.

If you are a five-star traveller, you are accustomed to sumptuous suites with rich decor, fine linens and stateof-the-art bathrooms. What makes Hidden Pond exceptional is its blend of classic comfort and a gentle brush with nature. Guests are encouraged to live partly outdoors, soothed by summer breezes and birdsong.

For example, the bungalows have deluxe bathrooms, but each also has an outdoor shower that amuses and titillates. The screened porches also are alluring. With rattan furniture and the sounds of nature, they are so inviting that you'll almost pray for a raging summer storm.

"We wanted to give people back the precious commodity of time," said Hidden Pond's founder, Tim Harrington. "Here guests can simply while away the days, and do so in style."

The languid life knows no bounds at Hidden Pond. The Tree Spa consists of three private huts built amid the branches of birches and balsams. You can indulge in aromatherapy, an anti-stress facial, a bamboo body treatment or a couples' massage, all done with Farmaesthetic products, produced from herbs, flowers and organic oils.

If you think you can get any more mellow, it's time for a drink at the Farm Bar, an al fresco cocktail lounge that overlooks a pond, lush landscaping and a firepit. Try a martini with Cold River vodka made from Maine potatoes and infused with blueberries, another local staple.

All of this has been an amuse-bouche before dinner. The new dining room called Earth looks like a simple lodge in the woods, but inside it is a design sensation with jaw-dropping rustic decor. A two-storey stone fireplace, a towering wall of wine bottles and a tree fashioned into a chandelier dominate the main room.

Chef Ken Oringer, who has won the prestigious James Beard Award in New York, promotes a farm-to-fork philosophy, cooking with local ingredients and vegetables from his own organic garden. His inventive dishes include crab toasts with avocado, iced oysters with rhubarb, lobster with green curry butter, bass with English peas and garbanzo beans, braised lamb with artichokes or steak with wild mushrooms and garlicky ramp chimichurri.

Earth has its own pastry chef, Jacquie Franklin, who churns out creamy, dreamy desserts like lemon panna cotta with blueberries or a dark chocolate fondant with banana ice cream.

IF YOU GO

Goose Rocks Beach/Kennebunkport is a 5.5-hour drive from Montreal via U.S. Highways 89 and 93 south to Route 101 east and U.S. 95 north.

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